St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-01-03
Commissioner Colman Asserts That the
Illinois Commissioners Have Ex-
ceeded Their Authority
In Allowing Recently Infected Stables in
Chicago to Be RefiIled With
Cattle,
And Says They Have Not Taken Even
Ordinary Precautions to Stamp
Out Disease.
Overwhelming Evidence That the
State commissioners Have In
suited Their Chief.


what he terms the violation by the Illinois
live stock commission of the rules prepared
by the commissioner of agriculture to regu-
late the cooperation between the general
government and the states for the suppress
sion of pleuro-pneumonia, and accepted by
Gov. Oglesby on behalf of Illinois. He re-
cites rule 10, providing that all animals
affected with contagious pleuro-pneumonia
are to be slaughtered as soon after their
discovery as the necessary arrangements
can be made" and saying, 1t is noted
that such afflicted animals were not
promptly slaughtered either in the diStillery
sheds or upon the Harvey farmer in their
infected herds" He declares that, despite
the express stipulation that incubation
shall not be practiced in Illinois. incubation
has been permitted. He calls attention to
the provisions that guarantees shall not be
removed
WITHOUT DUE NOTICE,
to the department of agriculture and that
all necessary disinfection shall be conducted
by the department, and. declares that there
have been violations of these rules of so
important a character that they threaten to
impair, if not destroy, the value of all that
has been done in Chicago and may lead to
results so far-reaching and disastrous to the
whole country that | can not allow them to
pass without entering a most emphatic pro-
test. 1t requires no great amount Of search
to discover the reason and necessity for
these rules. In cooperating with state au-
thorites this department has expended
large sums of money and it would be
ridiculous to do this without some means of
assuring itself that such thorough measures
would be adopted and enforced as would
secure with reasonable certainty the object
for which the appropriation was made.
The Shuffeldt distillery stables were, with
out duuht. as badly affected as any stables
which have been discovered in Cook county,
with the possible exception of the Phoenix
stables. Learning that the commissioners
contemplated withdrawing the quarantine
restrictions so far as to allow the Henry II.
Shutfeldt company to refill its stables at
once
WITH HEALTHY CATTLE,
the chief inspector OF the bureua Of animal
industry at Chicago, entered his protest
and notified the department of the intended
action. Dec 10. the chief OF the bureau of
animal industry, sent written protest to
the commissioners and requested the privil-
eye OF further consultation with them be-
tore such important actions were definitely
O6Cl(itU upOIl. I1edIluS IOlIllllS IlOuI lllc
commissioners. and learning from our in
spector that animals were to be placed in
the Shuffeldt sheds, | wrote them on Dec
II. calling their attention to rule II, and
expressing my readiness to diSinfect these
stables as soon as notified that they were
emptied and that this work could be COM
menced To this communication | have
received no answer. Under date of Dec.
IS. the commissioners wrote to the chief of
the bureau of animal industry, informing
him that on Dec. II they issued an order
allowing Shutfeldt Il Co. to refill the
southern division of their sheds with healthy
cattle. Since that date tine sheds men-
toned, have been rehlled, and now contain
a large number of cattle that had not
| previously been
EXPOSED TO DISEASE.
In allowing this the commissioners re-
| lieved the department of the'Quarantine re-
strictions which prohibited the entrance of
| healthy cattle into the infected premises
without the consent of the department and
without that due notice to which they were
! bound by the rules and regulations. They
also allowed the pest hole to be refilled with
suspected animals without giving this de-
partment any opportunity to disinfect it.
| AS was also provided for in the rules and
regulations, this is not cooperation. 1t is
the arrogation by the state commissioners
of the right to divide and act upon ques-
tons of the utmost Importance to the whole
country without consulting this depart
ment, and regardless alike of our protests
of the rules and regulations. which your
action as governor of the state bound them
to observe. Such course makes every
effort to cooperate with your state a farce.
! worse even than that, it removes the only
guarantee that could bring some substantial
result for the thousands of dollars expended
| in Cook county out Of the national apprO-
priation for the Suppression Of pleurO-
pneumonia, and now, after three months of
anxious waiting for the tidings that the
contagion had been thoroughly eradicated
from at least few of
THE INFECTED PLACES
in Chicago, the country is amazed to learn
that the commissioners have decided not to
avail themselves Of the most ordinary pre-
caution to prevent the temperance of the
disease. They have allowed the owners of
the worst infected places now remaining in
the CITY TO disinfect their own premises
without satisfactory or competent super
vision, and practically with no supervision
at all: and, not satisfied with this they
have shown the most extraordinary haste
and the most obstinate determination to
have this place relied Immediately with
fresh cattle. They allowed but single
day to elapse between the slaughter Of the
last affected animals and the issuance of an
order to refill the stables. 1t is a remark
able fact that every movement OF the COM
mission for the suppression OF the plague
and the protection Of the people at large
was attended with the utmost conservatism.
There was no undue haste to slaughter the
o1c
sheds. Ten long weeks, every day OF
which cost the citizens OF the country
thousands of dollars were
ALLOWED TO DRAG ALONG
before the courage of these gentlemen cOulo
be brought to the point of carrying out this
pIain provision of the law. They do mo-
seem to have made hurried attempt tc
safely dispose of the plague which wa:
spreading over the commons of the city an6
neighboring towns. but how different Wher
the interests of wealthy distilling com
pany were to be protected, company which
had suffered the plague and allowed
it to multiply upon its premises anC
which had violated the law by failing t.
respect it. To save this firm from loss {
permit was granted with the most eXtraordl
nary haste for refilling the sheds as soon a
the last of the plague-stricken cattle haC
been SIaugHlereu. IL ID IHcApllcdoIo Iil''
the commission appointed to serve the in
terests of the people of your state shoult
adopt such an erratic and dangerous pol
icv.n The commissioner refers at consider
able length to a communication from thu
commissioners dated Dec. IS, in which TIT
commission endeavors to excuse this re
markable action by citing certain mean
upon which its decision was based. III
. takes up its reasons one by one and com
ments upon them. He declares that SOM
nf tic statements in ShuffeldtS netitiOn ar